This disclosure relates to an engine control system and heater used to heat an air intake system in a Gasoline Direct-Injection Compression-Ignition (GDCI) engine.
GDCI engines utilize electric air heating during cold starts to heat the intake air prior to induction into the cylinder. A successful GDCI cold start requires that the intake air be heated very quickly with minimal air preheat times. In one example, commercially available coil heater plugs are located in each intake runner within the intake manifold upstream from the intake valve. These heaters exhibit good durability, however, they have poor heating characteristics due to their relatively low surface area and relatively high heater mass. As a result, the heating effectiveness is low and heats up times are undesirably long.